This invention relates generally to athletic equipment and more particularly to protective equipment for use in sports which allows for greater flexibility of movement, is cooler to wear, and affords enhanced protection.
Protective athletic equipment generally includes a number of separate portions secured together in order to provide protection for the particular part of the body concerned. Most portions of the equipment include a padded inner layer intended to come in contact with the player's body intended to absorb and spread the impact of any contact with other players, objects, etc. While the padded layer has in the past been formed of a porous fabric or other material stuffed with an orlon or ensolite batting, in recent years, the padded layer has often been made of a closed-cell elastomeric vinyl or other plastic foam having a smooth outer surface. The padded layer was often enclosed in a stretch polyester or nylon fabric cover which typically had no water wicking capability. Another type of padded layer commonly used in recent years in "nothing foam" which is an open-cell foam of very light weight enclosed in a substantially water-proof envelope having a generally smooth surface. The substantially smooth surfaces of the such padded layers inhibits any flow of air to the body of the player thereby preventing natural evaporation of perspiration, and contributing to body heat built-up.
In protective athletic equipment specifically designed for contact sports, such as shoulder pads conventionally designed for use in football, hockey, etc., each of the portions of the protective athletic equipment is typically constructed to include a hard, substantially rigid, shape-retaining outer surface layer. The outer substantially rigid shape retaining layer of such athletic equipment has on occasion caused injury to the person wearing the equipment. In particular, certain neck lacerations have been suffered by the players where a shoulder pad has been suddenly impacted from the side thereby pushing an inner edge against the neck causing a brief concentrated blow to the neck area. The outer edge of an upper portion of the chest protector has also caused injury principally to the biceps muscles when the arms are brought to a directly forward position. In football this injury to the biceps is due in part to a change in rules which permits offensive linemen to use their hands during blocking. This type of offensive blocking results into players extending their arms to a position nearly parallel to the ground or playing surface. During such extension, the contact between the biceps and outer edge of chest protector occurs and any sharp blow to the outer surface of the arm when in that position can cause significant injury to the arm.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide protective athletic equipment having padding of a design superior to that conventionally used which will provide the desired protection yet provide greater comfort of the wearer of such equipment. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a shoulder pad which is cooler to wear and which has a diminished likelihood of either neck injury or biceps injury due to impact with an edge of the shape retaining portion of pad.